inological digital library

[JN]

Dear list,

on Wed, 04 Apr 2007 10:46:51 +0200 Dominik Wujastyk <ucgadkw at UCL.AC.UK>  
wrote:
[snip...]
>  I have a growing personal digital library of valuable books as PDF  
> files.
[snip...]

is there any platform where scholars could share their pdf-files? I have  
an ever growing library of valuable indological source books in pdf-format  
too. if there was a platform to share such resources, the effort of  
scanning etc. would be reduced and everyone could contribute his or her  
pdfs. and everybody else could share the fruit of the individual effort.
i suppose that it is evident to everyone that computer readable (or rather  
viewable) versions of works which are otherwise available only in printed  
form are desirable as you can have your library (or at least important  
portions of it) with you on the laptop etc., everywhere you go.

but then the question arises: what about copyright laws?
we all know the gretil archive; many of the texts listed there have also  
been extracted from printed editions subject to copyrigth laws. i suppose  
that pdf-files prepared from printed books make a big difference in legal  
terms, don't they?

any chance to overcome this problem, anybody concerned with the question  
of a (centralized) indological digital library?


cheers

jn

________________________________________
Jürgen Neuß, M.A.

Freie Universität Berlin
Institut für die Sprachen und Kulturen Südasiens
Königin-Luise-Str. 34 a
D-14195 Berlin
Germany